On Dec. 31, 2007, the National Certification Corporation discontinued its telephone triage certification exam. Nurses who had received their certification before the discontinue date were grandfathered in, but those who wish to certify are now required to take the Ambulatory Care Nurse Certification Exam.
Eligibility
To certify for telephone triage via the ambulatory care certification, you must have a current registered nurse license and have worked as a full-time registered nurse for two years. You must have completed 2,000 clinical practice hours and 30 continuing education hours in ambulatory care within three years.
Examination
The computerized examination consists of 175 questions and is taken at ProMetric Testing Centers across the United States. The test is divided into five categories: Clinical Practice, Communication, Issues and Trends, Systems, and Education. The test covers different types of patient scenarios as well, such as well-patients and patients with acute, chronic or terminal conditions.
Application
The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) processes all applications for the exam. Prices vary depending on memberships. Check pricing to see which applies to you.
Certification
After passing the exam, you will be awarded with a Registered Nurse-Board Certified (RN-BC) credential.
Tags: must have, registered nurse